in its connection, and then compare those things recorded in Matthew, ch. xxiv. where "God's Judgments and Equity" are displayed in such a way "as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created unto (that) this time, neither shall be." Mark xiii. 19, I do not object to the "prevalence of Cholera," or any other "great calamity," being selected as a text for a discourse, but I do object to that foreign meaning being given to a passage of Scripture whose meaning is clearly discoverable by any one who will "search the Scriptures," and look at divine truth in the light which they afford the enquiring mind. J. M. B. December 18th, 1849. [We quite agree with J. M, B. in his remarks on quoting the Scripture by way of accommodation. But we think at the same time that they are totally inapplicable to the Discourse of Epenetus, to which he refers. If the reader will take the trouble to examine the first part of that Discourse, in the November number of the Christian Advocate, page 2-8-9, be will find the writer stating at length reasons for considering the passage, with its connection, to be applicable to the present times, and no attempt whatever made at accommodation. Indeed, if we may judge from that Discourse, we should conclude that Epenetus would repudiate the system of accommodation as much as J. M. B. himself. J. M. B. says, that the events of Isaiah, xxvi. refer to a particular time, called in ver. 1, that day, Of course he does not mean a day of twenty-four hours, but a lengthened period of time. Epenetus, it is clear would say the same, and has explained the passage accordingly; though he has not fixed upon any particular period, but evidently supposes the events described, and said to be accomplished, in ver. 1, "in that day" to successive transactions, which will occupy a length of time in fulfilling. J. M. B. supposes the true key to the interpretation and application of Isaiah xxvi. is to be found in Matt. xxiv. We are confident that Epenetus would not object to this mode of explanation, But is J. M. B. quite sure that he understands Matt. xxiv. We suspect he does not. If he adopts the popular theory of explaining the chapter and its parrallels, by applying the whole to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, with the contemporaneous events, we believe he is greatly mistaken, as would be very easy to show. That system of explaining the chapter, is founded upon an unwarrantable perversion of Scripture language and a falsification of historical facts. But if J. M. B. believes that Matt. xxiv, with its parallels, contains predictions which began to be accomplished in the destruction of Jerusalem and the contemporaneous events, and are still fulfilling upon the people of Israel, and will continue to progress "until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled," or "the time of the end;" no doubt Epenetus would agree with him, for his discourse is founded on that principle. For it is manifest from verses 29, 30, that the judgments described, will not be confined to the nation of Israel, but will extend also to the Gentile nations. We have offered these few remarks by way of expla nation, for we consider the strictures of J. M. B., as applied to the Discourse of Epenetus on Isaiah xxvi. 20-21. to be utterly without foundation.-ED.] THE LAND OF THE FREE. THERE is a land misnamed the free, Misnamed the land of liberty, There is a stain upon that land, A black, a foul, a hideous brand- That land can boast of sages wise, That land still claims the name of free, Of justice still a mockery, Of whips, and tears, and blows. The stain has spread, is spreading still, The brand is there, by a nation's will, And nought can it erase. But a better day is coming fast, When the moon shall dawn, and the night be past, When the people shall wake from that wicked dream, To bathe in the light of Freedom's stream, Then shall that stain be washed away, And that mountain no more be seen for aye, And the waves of liberty shall roll, Till slavery pass, like a blackened scroll. For within that land there are a few- To the holy cause of Freedom true, And the "might with the right" for once shall be, And the shout shall rise, America is free, And the demon of Slavery fall. Theu shall the sound come o'er the wave, And the black and the white shall love each other, -JUSTITIA. THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, AND Scotch Baptist Repository. MARCH, 1850. PRIZE ESSAY." THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES." "THE Lord will give grace and glory." Such was the ancient promise, on which the hearts of God's people rested. In the accomplishment of this his purpose, first to give grace, and then glory to his chosen, two advents of Christ were needed. The first brought grace," the grace of our Lord Jesus;" the second will show his glory; and in revealing him and his glory, shew his members as joint heirs with him. Part of this promise is already fulfilled-Blessed be his name, he has given us his only begotten Son, as the manifestation of that love wherewith he hath loved us, "For in the fulness of time," fresh from the heart of God, came Jesus the Word, full of grace and truth, and of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. Nor did he come without harbingers and witnesses that he was at hand. Signs heralded the coming of grace. So shall it be with the coming of glory. Signs given of God shall mark and precede it also. Now, with reference to his first advent in grace, we know from history how distinct and remarkable its signs were; although, through Israel's blindness, all in vain. To those however, who were waiting for the consolation of Israel, these signs were most precious, we may notice a few of them. For as it was at his first coming, so shall it be at the end of this age. Signs there will be enough; but eyes will be wanting to see, and hearts to understand them. 1st. The first sign was the state of David's family. They who were instructed by the sure word of prophecy, as to the family from whom the Messiah was to spring, from the same word learned also the low estate of that house (David's.) No longer flourishing and spreading abroad his branches, with the thousands of Israel resting under his shadow, but as predicted by Isaiah, xi. 1-3, "A rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch growing out of his roots; nevertheless, the spirit of the Lord was to rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and shall make him quick of understanding in the fear of the Lord." Such was one sign that the Lord was coming in grace. The sign was given, but Israel understood it not. H 2nd. Another sign was the miraculous conception of Jesus, as foretold by Isaiah vii. 14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and [thou O virgin] shall call his name Immanuel." This same sign is again referred to in Jeremiah xxxi. 32, "How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man." The virgin conceived and bare a son; but Israel had not eyes to see it. 3rd. The birthplace of Jesus was again another sign. Micah v. 2, " But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Such were some of the harbingers or tokens of Christ's first coming; and so fully assured were Simeon, Anna, and others, that he was near at hand, that no sooner did the Messiah appear, than they publicly acknowledged him as God's salvation, praising and giving thanks unto the Lord, and speaking of him to all them that looked for redemption in Israel. Luke ii. 25–38. 66 We need not multiply further examples of the signs given to Israel as warnings of Christ's first coming. The appearing of John the Baptist as the forerunner of the Messiah, was a sign, (see Isaiah xl. 3, with its literal accomplishment in Matt. iii. 3) which one would have thought could not have passed unheeded. But those who rejected the light of God's word, were sealed with the spirit of slumber, having eyes they saw not, and having ears they heard not;" hence during the ministry of Christ, the repeated interrogation from the religious people of that day was, "What sign showest thou? He answered and said unto them, an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, but there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas." There were signs enough in those days for those who had eyes to see them, nay, their ready perception of worldly signs already condemned them, "ye can discern the face of the sky," said Jesus, but with all this, they did not know the time of their visitation; "they could not discern the signs of the times." Is it not so in the present day, with all its boasting of accumulated wisdom? Are we not looking for signs, instead of asking that our eyes might be opened to see those that are surrounding us on every hand at home and abroad? Surely the reason why the signs of the present times pass away unheeded by us, is, because our eyes are so little opened to see the fearful picture of the last days as depicted by Christ and his apostles. The end of this age, and the future government of this world, with the unspeakable and eternal weight of glory, which is preparing for those who have trusted in the grace of Christ, and love his appearing. "For the GRACE of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, &c., to look for that blessed hope, and the appearing of the GLORY (see Greek) of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." And now having thus noticed a very small portion of the prophetic word, and the signs which preceded Christ's first personal coming to bring in grace, we may proceed to ask whether glory, like grace, will be heralded by signs; and if so heralded, what are the signs, and how far have they been accomplished? And here alas! it seems but too probable that Gentile Christendom is but too much imitating Israel's conduct at Christ's first coming. It is generally believed that signs shall certainly precede Christ's second coming in glory. But the great mass of Christians are so little accustomed to judge of the things around by the word of the Lord, "Who saw the end from the beginning," that for them the signs are, alas, almost in vain. Ought we not rather to say, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." This is a most cheering truth, but to confess that "God is my light," implies, not only that I am darkness itself that I am in a very dark place-but that I have taken his light for my guidance, "In thy light shall we see light. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards bring me to glory." Let us then turn to this word, and in dependence upon that teaching which cometh from on high, let us ask what signs are given in Scripture respecting the coming of Christ's glory. We may then look around and enquire how far such signs have been fulfilled, or are now fulfilling. The signs then which are given to precede his second coming, we may be bold to assert, are as many as witnessed his first advent. We shall better understand them if we consider them in connection with the three great divisions which God has made in the world:--the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church of God. I. The signs in the Jews. I. In speaking of the signs of the times as seen in the Jew, it may be well to glance at the past and present state of God's ancient people, "to whom pertain the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the promises." Rom. xi. 4. We find that for centuries they have been, and still are, in the precise condition predicted by the prophet Amos, ix. 9, "For so I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not one grain fall upon the earth." Notwithstanding all the fiery persecutions they have endured from all the nations, among whom they have been scattered, and all the inducements that have been held out to them again and again to amalgamate with the nations, they have still been preserved as a distinct people-distinct in their religion, their aims, and their hopes. Preserved by God for the great accomplishment of the promises made to their fathers. Their past history is a standing memorial, and silent but universal attestation to the truth of God's judgments, as predicted by Moses upwards of three thousand years ago; see Deut. xxviii. 37, "Thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a by-word among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee." Thus, according to the Scriptures, have Israel, during eighteen hundred years since their city and temple were destroyed, been sifted among all nations, and yet kept separate. They have been a sign during their sorrows. Shall they not be a sign in the day when God again visits them. For God shall surely visit them; and "if the casting away of them has been the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?" Rom. xi. 15. What signs are there of this receiving back? With reference to their hopes of the future, it appears that great numbers among them are now returning to the land of their fathers, and are collecting a large sum of money for the purpose of building upon Mount Sion a temple or synagogue, which for design and beauty is not to be second to the temple which Solomon built; such a thing has not happened for centuries. Is it not a sign? They have obtained a firman from the Sublime Porte, granting them a variety of privileges and advantages in Jerusalem, such as they have never hitherto enjoyed, with full permission to build a synagogue in their holy city. And what say the Jews to this? Amongst the Jews in America, this matter has found a warm response; £250,000. is reported to have been raised there, and at the present time a subscription is being made in this country for the furtherance of the same object. To show the feelings of intelligent Jews on this question, the following quotation is made from the address, lately delivered by judge Noah, at the synagogue in Crosby Street, New York.-"The Sultan of Turkey says to the Jews in his dominions, 'You are free; you have my permission to erect a synagogue in Jerusalem,' and messengers are despatched as they were in the days of Solomon, to ask aid from their brethren throughout the world to erect a magnificent place of worship, the first that has been erected in the holy city since the advent of Christianity. Friends and brethren do you not understand that sign? Is it not pregnant with great events? We can erect a synagogue here (New York) and it excites no attention; but when the trumpet sounds from Mount Sion, every ear is opened, every heart throbs. We have passed through the promised punishments, shall we not enjoy the promised blessings." Is not this a sign? This at least we ask, when has the like been said or done before? But there is another striking thing in connection with this subject, viz., that the Jews of this day contemplate a renewal of all their sacrifices and ceremonies, as in the days of old. Remarkable as this is, it seems yet to be the subject of distinct prophecy, of a prophecy too, which seems to point to these latter days. "Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For all these things hath mine hands made, and all these things have been saith the Lord; but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word. But he that killeth an ox as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their souls delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them, because when I called none did answer, when I spake they did not hear; but they did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that in which I delighted not." Isaiah lxvi. 1-4. Now this is very remarkable. If we mistake not, it describes not only the projects and thoughts of Israel while yet in unbelief, but it opens out fully God's thoughts in reference to their raising him a temple, which though its magnificence may even exceed that of Solomon's, and the oblations, offerings, and sacrifices be made at the appointed times, will yet be a thing of which he may say, "They have chosen the things in which I delighted not," &c. That which can alone meet God's approval, or, in other words, leave an opening for him to come in with mercy and deliverance, they have altogether set aside, and if we look at facts, and to passing events, we see nothing of the poverty and contrition of spirit, and trembling at God's word in their return; neither do we see any acknowledgment of their iniquity in sinning and departing from the Lord, and rejecting his only Son. And yet we are assured |